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 You'd think that spring would be our busiest season of the year here at Park Seed, but autumn proves to be just as busy, if not busier! We're all hard at work preparing to bring you the latest and greatest seeds and plants, and Stephanie Turner, our Director of Horticulture for Seeds, can be found poring over the proofs for our 2009 Spring Seed Catalog! Unfortunately, we can't spoil it by telling you what's on the cover or what exciting new vegetables and flowers you'll find inside, but you can get a snippet of the excitement that's brewing by reading Stephanie's guest blog post over at www.parkseedjournal.com!
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 Get a jump on the holiday season by shopping online today! The day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of the Christmas shopping season, but you can get ahead of the curve and shop today at Park Seed! Shopping online is a great way to break free from the hustle and bustle, and we've added many new internet-only garden gifts to thrill every green thumb on your list. Our new AeroGardens are perfect for apartment dwellers and gardeners on the go, and our composters make quick and easy work of turning kitchen scraps into a wealth of nutrient-rich compost!
As a newsletter subscriber, you probably already know that we constantly add exciting products to our website throughout the season. It's a great place to hunt for some unexpected finds and fresh options to keep your garden growing beautifully, so be sure to check back often to find out what treats we've recently added. |
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 Fall is in full swing all across the country, and we hope you're getting out and seeing the sights, tasting the flavors, and celebrating the bounty of the harvest season! As you prepare your garden for winter and your home for the holidays, don't forget these important dates.
Nov. 2 - Daylight Savings Time Ends - It's time to "fall back"! Set your clocks back one hour to give yourself more morning daylight to garden by...or, if you're like me, another hour to sleep in!
Nov. 4 - Election Day - The 2008 election has been called "historic" for more than one reason, so get out there and make sure your voice is heard!
Nov. 9-15 - National Hunger and Homeless Awareness Week - This week's purpose is to bring greater awareness to the problems of hunger and homelessness. Get involved in your own community - volunteer at a soup kitchen, harvest veggies from your garden for a food bank, donate unwanted clothing to a shelter, or send money to a service organization.
Nov. 11 - Veterans Day - Remember the sacrifices made by America's military veterans.
Nov. 13-19 - Green Ribbon Awareness Week - This week has been set aside to encourage people to register as organ and tissue donors.
Nov. 15 - America Recycles Day - If you aren't already recycling at home or at the office, take the pledge and make an effort to do more!
Nov. 17 - Homemade Bread Day - Baking homemade bread can be a great way to bring the family together. Whip up some herb butter with fresh herbs from the garden to go along with your wholesome creation, then slather on and enjoy! Below is an herb butter recipe entered by one of our Park Seed customers, Susan Swanson.
Nov. 27 - Thanksgiving Day - Give thanks for the bounty of our gardens!
Nov. 28 - Black Friday - The unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season. This year, why not save time and gas by staying home and ordering online?!
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Here in sunny Greenwood, SC, we've just had our first frost and freeze earlier in the week, but some of you have already had snow! This dramatic difference in regional temperatures and weather conditions makes it hard to give general guidelines for gardening in November, but there are a few things that we can all do to ready our gardens for next season.
- Test your soil! Make sure your soil is healthy and ready to support big, bountiful crops in spring by having your soil tested now. Soil samples show what nutrients your soil may be lacking, and since some fertilizers work slowly, knowing what nutrients you need and applying them now means they'll be available to plants next season. Our soil analyzers are easy to use and include instructions for evaluating the nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and pH levels of your soil. If your initial tests signal a problem and you'd like to know more, you can also get an in-depth soil analysis for a small fee at your local county extension office.
- Tidy the garden! If you've been enjoying fall foliage in your own yard, you'll likely have mounds of leaves to rake up. But don't despair - dead leaves are food for your garden! Shred fallen leaves to use as mulch, compost, or soil conditioner by running over them a couple of times with your mower or using a leaf shredder. Use shredded leaves as an instant mulch, or compost them into leaf mould by storing them in a wire bin or composter. After 8 to 12 months, you'll have gardener's gold!
You should also dispose of diseased or pest-ridden plant material before winter sets in to keep problems from returning next season. Just don't clean TOO much and throw out all the good stuff for the wildlife. Leave some cover for critters and seed heads for the birds!
- Finish planting bulbs! It's not too late to order bulbs to ensure a glorious display this coming spring! We still have a wide selection to choose from, and you can plant them up until your ground freezes. And if you're one of the unfortunate souls dealing with already-frozen ground, there's always time to plant a cheerful container of your favorite bulbs. Pot them up with pansies, and you'll have instant color 'til the bulbs appear in spring!
- Take cuttings of your favorite tender plants! Taking cuttings of annuals and tender perennials to grow over winter is well worth the reward of having several of your favorite
 plants next spring - at no extra cost! Just follow these easy steps to root your favorite coleus, geraniums, begonias, impatiens, and more!
- Fill a seed-starting tray with a soil-less seed-starting mix, or create your own using equal parts perlite and vermiculite.
- Select your healthiest plant to take cuttings from. Snip a stem just below a node (where the leaves are attached), then remove all but a few leaves at the top of the stem. If the plant has large foliage, cut the remaining leaves in half to lessen water loss through transpiration. Don't be shy! Just snip the leaf in half - it will grow new ones later! You can also dip the end in rooting hormone at this point, but it's not necessary, especially for plants like coleus that will root in water if left in a vase too long!
- Plant cuttings so that at least one node is below soil level, then mist with water.
- Place the tray of cuttings inside a large clear plastic bag with a few slits cut in the top, then close the bag to help keep in humidity.
- Set trays in a warm spot out of direct sunlight and keep the soil moist.
- After a couple of weeks, tug the cuttings gently. If you feel a little resistance, this means your cuttings have started to root!
- Wait until your cuttings have rooted firmly (you'll see new foliage growth appear), then pop them out of their trays and pot them up!
If you forget about your cuttings or you just don't get the hang of it...don't worry, there'll be more seeds to start and plants to swoon over in our next catalog!
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Wow. I cannot fully express how hard it was for our judging team to read all the essays submitted for our "Get My Class Growing" contest and choose a winner. Each essay showed a passion for encouraging children to explore the natural world and highlighted the importance of gardening as an educational tool in this increasingly complicated world. As I read them, though, it became clear that there were some that needed a little more help than others in getting their programs started. There were also existing programs started by teachers who had reached into their own pockets to purchase supplies so their students could experience the wonder of gardening, sometimes even at the discouragement of their peers - a true testament of our teachers' commitment to their students' growth and wellbeing. Most importantly, this contest was about the children, and I was touched to see their pleas for a place to grow flowers and veggies that they could call their own.
We truly wish we could make everyone a winner, but it wouldn't be a contest then, would it? So...the winner of the $150 Park Seed gift certificate is...Mr. Eddie Neumann's class at Fremont Middle School in Pomona, CA! And the 4 second-place prizes of $25 gift certificates will be sent to...Matthew Tosiello's class at Randolph Elementary School in Arlington, VA, Jennifer Lance Atkinson's class at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School in Washington, GA, Janis Bui's class at Shaung Wen School in New York City, NY, and Jackie Kelley's class at Wellborn High School in Anniston, AL! Congratulations to our lucky winners, and thanks to everyone who submitted an essay. We wish you all much success in your school gardening endeavors!
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So I promised more explanation of this photo for all our new subscribers, and here you have it.
In spring, a reader on SuccesswithSeed.org asked Anne whether the Bio Dome seed starter lid was solid enough to support her 10-pound cat, or was it "flimsy like other seed starters." We knew that 10 pounds is not a problem for this sturdy top, but when Anne told us about the question, thought we'd illustrate it with photo proof: a cat curled up on top.
 Since my own Bio Dome, about 9 years old, has some battle scars and is a little too grimy for photos, I brought a brand new one home for the purpose. The cats completely ignored it all afternoon, so I saw that a candid, unstaged photo of a cat sitting on it was not in the cards. Throughout the evening we plied them with treats to just sit pretty on top, and no one would willingly step up.
Eventually I just decided it was time. It may not be the snuggly kitty photo I had envisioned, but golly we were going to get something! "All right, just hold the cat upright standing on the top. When I say 'Now', move your hands, and I'll take the pic. It might take us a few tries, but I don't see another way we're going to get this tonight."
First up was old Velcro, our 15 year old cat who easily fills the weight requirement. No success; he's pretty wily for an old tom! Then in desperation we sought little Scamp, who's always most cooperative with sitting still for photos - although she's tiny and doesn't meet the weight requirement — but she wasn't having it either!
In the end we had to illustrate the point with bricks! But someday we shall get a photo of Cat on a Bio Dome.
Do you have a cat that likes to sit on the Bio Dome? Tell us about it!
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We've been talking lots about the harvest season, so now we'd like to see how creative you can be with the fruits of your labors! Submit a photograph of your best harvest decorations or Thanksgiving centerpieces made from homegrown gourds, pumpkins, leaves, or anything else that would make a beautiful arrangement.
The winning photograph will receive a $100 Park Seed gift certificate and have their photo published in an upcoming issue of Park News! You have until December 3rd to enter. More info on how to enter can be found on Parkseed.com.
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 Our new Garden for Victory shirts are in! They started as just a fun way to show pride for what we believe in, but have been such a huge hit around the building and in the community we're making more of these exclusive designs available very shortly. We can't wait to tell you the story of these prints, what Gardening for Victory means to us, and the rest of our exclusive tshirt designs. Stay tuned...!
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Keep your eyes peeled for Park products featured in these national and local gardening publications!
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| Brand new Desktops for Fall, plus a sneak peek at Spring 2009! |
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Susan's Herb Butter |
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Submitted by: Susan Swanson |
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| Ingredients: |
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| 1 C unsalted butter, softened |
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| *Winter mix: |
| 5 sprigs fresh marjoram |
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme |
1 cup fresh parsley |
2-3 fresh sage leaves |
| 1 clove garlic, peeled (optional) |
| 10 chive leaves |
| 2-3 mint leaves, any flavor |
| 1 tsp sea salt |
| Zest of 1 lemon or lime |
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*Summer mix: |
Add ½ cup fresh basil |
Decrease parsley to ½ cup |
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| Directions: |
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Wash and dry all herbs. A salad spinner works very well. Strip herbs from their stems and add to food processor along with the grated zest and garlic. Pulse the blade to chop the leaves, add the salt, then the butter. Flavor is best if allowed to rest for 30 minutes.
Butter is awesome on roasted pork loin, steak, and fresh veggies or used as a spread for toasted bread or crackers. The recipe is very flexible but the salt and zest are crucial. Scrambled eggs, Hollandaise, or a bowl of fresh pasta with butter and warm fresh tomatoes are all very tasty. The butter keeps well for a week in the refrigerator. My family's favorite use is spread on warm cheese bagels for breakfast. Hope you enjoy! |
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Call Center Open on Weekends!
Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., Extended Hours!
Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time
800-213-0076
When Will My Order Ship? Seeds and supplies will ship promptly.
Plants, bulbs, and trees ship at the proper time for your zone.
Follow this link for more information. |
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Park Seed Co.
The Best Flowers & Vegetables
1 Parkton Ave. | Greenwood, SC 29647
800-213-0076 www.parkseed.com
info@parkscs.com
Copyright 2001-2008 Geo. W. Park Seed Co.
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Oops! Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy, errors in price, quantity and/or specifications may occur. We reserve the right to correct such errors. Please note: Sale prices are good on new orders only and will not be applied to previous purchases. |
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